Time is Flying! - July 22, 2013

Bonjour a tous!! 

Well, well, well, where to begin this weeks email...oh wait I know! How about with a lovely story about our Cat Lady? So we went to do our annual visit on Sunday. Not going to lie.... sometimes its difficult to go and sit with 22 cats and their stench each Sunday but we went! When we arrived she was doing her usually Sunday activities (a.k.a. smoking and watching CSI) As a fellow CSI lover.... I do not approve this because...well it’s the Sabbath! I am 100% positive there is something better she could be watching...ANYWAYS.  So we arrived at it was mid-episode of the CSI-Miami edition. She refused to turn her TV off. So I basically said, “well if you cant turn your TV off we are going to have to leave before visiting with you and sharing our message.”  She said.............”yes, leave.” Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! As you can imagine we exited the apartment and just burst out laughing! ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? We just got turned down by a TV show!! That’s a new low (haha).  I just felt bad because she would rather watch a TV show than have human interaction and more importantly feel the spirit and by edified by the gospel. That my friends, is a problem. So that is my challenge for you this week. Honestly evaluate your life. Would you rather watch a TV show or feel the spirit of God? If it’s the first, repent. I can promise you that if you put God first you will experience joy, peace, and happiness that you never thought was imaginable. That is a PROMISE. 

So Bordeaux conference was great! Seriously I think a bad conference is pretty much impossible! I have the best Mission President and APs in the world. They discussed a little about the broadcast and how we still need to focus a good amount of our efforts on contacting. YAY! We met a recent convert in Bordeaux named Julien. He is AWESOME! He is thinking about serving a mission. Soeur Luthi and me talked to him for probably about 2 hours about life and the decision to go on a mission while wandering the streets for a good pâtisserie! He is awesome.  We basically just said that it’s a choice he needs to make personally and with Gods help. We can’t tell him what he should do! He is experiencing a lot of opposition from his parents...it sounds like a hard situation. It made me so grateful for the support I have from my family, friends, ward, and God. I am and have been so blessed. Sometimes when I think about how blessed I have been I feel physically ill and cry. I know...I am a weirdo but I just cannot believe it. I feel selfish having so many blessings. I want to share some of mine with others who desperately need them! 

So we were finally able to visit a less active woman! (We have been trying since last mutation...transfer). Her name is Soeur Sorin. SHE IS AMAZING. She recently got out of the hospital. I think she might have breast cancer. She has to wear oxygen. She has a 4-year-old daughter who is absolutely gorgeous. I am so glad we were able to visit her. I think she is really lonely. And I think her daughter is also in need of some good positive influence. I can’t imagine having your mom be so sick and no one else to turn to. She really attached to me! We were able to have a lot of fun together! She likes Dora the Explorer and Barbies, drawing...normal kid stuff. She really reminded me of Elle. Loads of energy, creativity, and is constantly dancing! After our spiritual thought we all walked to McDonalds and got happy meals! Well, her daughter and I skipped the whole way! Once we left for our bus the little French "Elle" gave me the biggest hug and bisou! I had to hold tears back!! I miss my little niece and nephews!! I love how I was able to connect with her! We are going back this week! They both need love and care! 

Soeur Luthi and I contacted a bunch again! We made the goal for 700 this week.... and we reached it! YAY! We got a little behind throughout the week so yesterday we had to contact 315. It really is exhausting! But I was determined to reach the goal and poor Soeur Luthi didn’t have a choice (haha). Yay for always having to be with your companion!! As we were doing studies this morning we realized that we are only 2 weeks away from not being "bleu" anymore. Time is flying!! And I love every minute of it!!

Oh and Jordan comes home from his mission in like a month...WOW!!! I honestly feel sooo bad for him. I would hate to come home (haha).  He sent me this really awesome calendar for my birthday It has scriptures, quotes, important dates, when the Apostles birthdays are...Dad you are even on there! (haha) He also put in things like "hang out with Tyler" or "family night at the Richardsons.... if they invite me..." That kid... (haha) gotta love him!! So be sure to invite him to a family night every so often!! I can’t believe he is almost home.... time flies!!! Since time flies it really makes me realize that you have to take each moment and really focus!! I love it! Great things are happening!! 

Amis Update: 

Sylvio: Sylvio is great! We are really trying to make sure he understands everything that we are teaching him. We asked him to pray about the 27^th  for a baptismal date but he doesn’t feel like he will be ready by then! And yet we all felt good about! I have no doubt that as long as we continue to teach for understanding and by the spirit then he will be baptized eventually. Dad I would love it if you wrote him a letter and It can be in English because we teach him in English! He is believing and sometimes gets his mind blown by things like we lived with God before this life and there is a living prophet! But he is willing to accept these things as truth. He also expressed to us that he is starting to run into an impasse. He is feeling like he needs to pick between the church he grew up in or the church of Mormon hahah He is a 19 year old boy...living in France alone.... I truly am astounded by his Faith and desire to learn and grow! Continue Praying!! 

Marie-Antoinette: She flat out said no to getting baptized in France. She is determined to do it in Martinique, or she doesn’t feel worthy, or we even got a new one...she apparently now wants to be baptized in her birthday month, which is JUNE (haha). She is great at coming up with a variety of excuses. I am really going to try to apply your CSI analogy Dad. Because I just can’t figure out why she doesn’t have a strong desire to be baptized!! She knows everything well and participates in Sunday school, comes to church each Sunday! Goodness. It’s a little hard to figure out but we will continue to love and teach her. 

Thanks for all the prayers and love!!

**I have a few requests if possible: 1. Salade Recipes/the vinaigrette dressing recipes 2. Other easy recipes to make (German pancakes, things like that!) and Dad your cookie recipe...the French LOVE our "American" cookies! 3. Talks about Patriarchal Blessings sent to me via mail. So I can study them/use them in a personal project I am working on!  4. And one random other request: If you ever send a package stick in some American candy (Reese, laffy taffty, tootsie rolls...) They do not sell Reeses here...Megan would die hahaha Love you all!!! Je vous aime!!